Summary Though several genes governing various major traits have been reported in rice, their superior haplotype combinations for developing ideal variety remains elusive. In this study, haplotype analysis of 120 previously functionally characterized genes, influencing grain yield (87 genes) and grain quality (33 genes) revealed significant variations in the 3K rice genome ( RG ) panel. For selected genes, meta‐expression analysis using already available datasets along with co‐expression network provided insights at systems level. Also, we conducted candidate gene based association study for the 120 genes and identified 21 strongly associated genes governing 10‐grain yield and quality traits. We report superior haplotypes upon phenotyping the subset of 3K RG panel, SD 1 ‐H8 with haplotype frequency ( HF ) of 30.13% in 3K RG panel, MOC 1 ‐H9 ( HF : 23.08%), IPA 1 ‐H14 ( HF : 6.64%), DEP 3 ‐H2 ( HF : 5.59%), DEP 1 ‐H2 ( HF : 37.53%), SP 1 ‐H3 ( HF : 5.05%), LAX 1 ‐H5 ( HF : 1.56%), LP ‐H13 (3.64%), OSH 1 ‐H4 (5.52%), PHD 1 ‐H14 ( HF : 15.21%), AGO 7 ‐H15 ( HF : 3.33%), ROC 5 ‐H2 (31.42%), RSR 1 ‐H8 ( HF : 4.20%) and Os NAS 3 ‐H2 ( HF : 1.00%). For heading date, Ghd7 ‐H8 ( HF : 3.08%), TOB 1 ‐H10 ( HF : 4.60%) flowered early, Ghd7 ‐H14 ( HF : 42.60%), TRX 1 ‐H9 ( HF : 27.97%), Os VIL 3 ‐H14 ( HF : 1.72%) for medium duration flowering, while Ghd7 ‐H6 ( HF : 1.65%), SNB ‐H9 ( HF : 9.35%) were late flowering. GS 5 ‐H4 ( HF : 65.84%) attributed slender, GS 5 ‐H5 ( HF : 29.00%), GW 2 ‐H2 ( HF : 4.13%) were medium slender and GS 5 ‐H9 ( HF : 2.15%) for...

Background: Motor function and aberrant cognition have been linked in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), but it is unknown if these are distinct symptoms or if they are correlated outcomes of a single dysfunctional latent process. EEG theta and beta rhythms are reliably associated with cognitive and motor functions, respectably. We tested the hypothesis that PD patients with lowerlimb abnormalities would exhibit abnormal beta and theta rhythms in the mid-frontal region during action initiation. Methods:We recruited thirty-nine subjects, including PD patients with FOG (PDFOG+; n=13) and without FOG (PDFOG-; n=13), and demographically-matched healthy subjects (n=13). Scalp electroencephalogram (EEG) signals were collected during a lower-limb pedaling motor task, which required intentional initiation and stopping of a motor movement.Results: FOG scores were correlated with disease severity and cognition. PDFOG+ patients pedaled with reduced speed and decreased acceleration compared to PDFOG-patients and to controls. PDFOG+ patients exhibited attenuated theta-band (4-8 Hz) power and increased betaband (13-30 Hz) power at mid-frontal electrode Cz during pedaling. Frontal theta-and beta-band oscillations also correlated with lower-limb movement in PD patients. Conclusions:Frontal theta and beta oscillations are predictors of lower-limb motor symptoms in PD. These data provide insight into the mechanism of lower-limb dysfunction in PD, and could be used to design neuromodulation for PD-related lower-limb abnormalities.

Background: Unfavorable climatic changes have led to an increased threat of several biotic and abiotic stresses over the past few years. Looking at the massive damage caused by these stresses, we undertook a study to develop high yielding climate-resilient rice, using genes conferring resistance against blast (Pi9), bacterial leaf blight (BLB) (Xa4, xa5, xa13, Xa21), brown planthopper (BPH) (Bph3, Bph17), gall midge (GM) (Gm4, Gm8) and QTLs for drought tolerance (qDTY 1.1 and qDTY 3.1 ) through marker-assisted forward breeding (MAFB) approach. Result: Seven introgression lines (ILs) possessing a combination of seven to ten genes/QTLs for different biotic and abiotic stresses have been developed using marker-assisted selection (MAS) breeding method in the background of Swarna with drought QTLs. These ILs were superior to the respective recurrent parent in agronomic performance and also possess preferred grain quality with intermediate to high amylose content (AC) (23-26%). Out of these, three ILs viz., IL1 (Pi9+ Xa4+ xa5+ Xa21+ Bph17+ Gm8+ qDTY 1.1 + qDTY 3.1 ), IL6 (Pi9+ Xa4+ xa5+ Xa21+ Bph3+ Bph17+ Gm4+ Gm8+ qDTY 1.1 + qDTY 3.1 ) and IL7 (Pi9+ Xa4+ xa5+ Bph3+ Gm4+ qDTY 1.1 + qDTY 3.1 ) had shown resistance\tolerance for multiple biotic and abiotic stresses both in the field and glasshouse conditions. Overall, the ILs were high yielding under various stresses and importantly they also performed well in non-stress conditions without any yield penalty. Conclusion:The current study clearly illustrated the success of MAS in combining tolerance to multiple biotic and abiotic stresses while maintaining higher yield potential and preferred grain quality. Developed ILs with seven to ten genes in the current study showed superiority to recurrent parent Swarna+drought for multiple-biotic stresses (blast, BLB, BPH and GM) together with yield advantages of 1.0 t ha − 1 under drought condition, without adverse effect on grain quality traits under non-stress.

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Helminthosporium leaf blight (HLB) is the most important disease constraint to wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivation in the eastern Gangetic Plains of South Asia. A Helminthosporium Monitoring Nursery (HMN) including potential adapted and exotic sources of HLB resistance was developed in Bangladesh, India and Nepal to assess the stability of genetic resistance across locations. The 8th, 9th and 10th HMN assessed the HLB resistance and agronomic traits of 17 wheat genotypes across 20 environments of Bangladesh, India and Nepal in the